Cry of the Owl

2009

Cry of the Owl

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

11%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 9

20%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 7,880

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Cry of the Owl Photos

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Movie Info

A man with a troubled past becomes the prime suspect in a small-town murder case. Adapted from the novel by Patricia Highsmith, The Cry of the Owl tells the tale of Robert Forrester (Paddy Considine), a man who flees from the city and his marriage in search of solitude. Eventually, Robert winds up in a quaint community and becomes drawn to Jenny (Julia Stiles), a pretty local whose simple existence holds a unique appeal to the former big-city dweller. When Jenny notices Robert peering in through her kitchen window, she senses that he doesn't mean her harm and strikes up a conversation. Suspicious of the mysterious newcomer's motivations and jealous of the attention his girlfriend is getting, Jenny's boyfriend Greg (James Gilbert) launches an obsessive campaign to humiliate and destroy Robert. After a heated confrontation Greg goes missing, and the authorities begin looking to Robert for answers. Now the higher the stakes get, the more Robert begins to suspect that he's being set up to take a big fall.
  • Rating:
    R (for violence and language.)
  • Genre:
    Drama, Mystery & Suspense
  • Directed By:
    Jamie Thraves
  • Written By:
    Jamie Thraves
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Myriad Pictures

Cast

Julia Stiles
as Jenny
Paddy Considine
as Robert
James Gilbert
as Greg
Gordon Rand
as Jack
Gord Rand
Karl Pruner
as Mr. Jaffe
Phillip Mackanzie
Caroline Dhavernas
as Nickie
R.D. Reid
as Mr. Kolbe
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Critic Reviews for Cry of the Owl

All Critics (9) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (1) | Rotten (8)

  • Unfortunately, another bird beside an owl comes to mind to describe this misbegotten feature: a turkey.

    May 20, 2010 | Rating: 1.5/4 | Full Review…

    Bruce DeMara

    Toronto Star
    Top Critic

  • Overall, it's the kind of technically proficient, deliberately paced, grim sleepwalk that leaves one cold rather than cracked open.

    March 12, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/5 | Full Review…

    Robert Abele

    Los Angeles Times
    Top Critic

  • The Cry of the Owl, much like Highsmith's virtually unreadable book, is saddled with an absolutely ludicrous premise that proves an immediate detriment to one's enjoyment of the film...

    June 13, 2011 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

    David Nusair

    Reel Film Reviews

  • ... preserves the doom and the emotional irrationality of Highsmith in this remarkably faithful adaptation, but never manages to capture the terrible helplessness and hopelessness...

    June 11, 2010 | Full Review…

    Sean Axmaker

    Seanax.com

  • It's not an entirely boring or offensive movie, just a rather distant and detached one.

    June 5, 2010 | Rating: 5/10 | Full Review…

    John J. Puccio

    Movie Metropolis

  • To his credit, writer-director Jamie Thraves avoids the absurd twists and abrupt jolts audiences have come to expect from thrillers, instead maintaining a slow, deliberate burn.

    May 21, 2010 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Kevin Williamson

    Jam! Movies
View All Critic Reviews (9)

Audience Reviews for Cry of the Owl

  • Jul 31, 2011
    this movie was average it could of been better The ending left me wondering what was going to happen, the acting was good but the story-line wasn't that intense or thrilling to me. except for one scene that involves a dog licking blood.
    Paul A Super Reviewer
  • Apr 26, 2011
    Actually kind of intriguing. The feeling of dread builds nicely throughout. I think this could make an interesting play.
    Laura C Super Reviewer
  • Apr 24, 2011
    more of a psychological drama than a horror (misleading dvd cover). quite slow but well made & paddy considine puts in a reliably good performance
    Sanity Assassin ! Super Reviewer
  • Apr 06, 2011
    During his divorce proceedings with Nickie(Caroline Dhavernas), Robert Forrester(Paddy Considine) is trying to start over at a new job at an aerospace company. After work one day, Greg(James Gilbert) bums some money off of him for a present for his girlfriend Jenny(Julia Stiles). With an equal mix of creepiness and curiosity, Robert plays Peeping Tom outside of her house until she spots him and invites him inside. The two quickly become friends. So much so, that Jenny dumps Greg and invites Robert hiking with some friends of hers. "Cry of the Owl" wants to desperately be a dark and offbeat film about the relationship between two damaged people but only gets about halfway there. A lot of that has to do with the performances of the leads. Paddy Considine, again proving he can do little wrong, hits the right notes playing a man uncomfortable in his own skin and whose timing is always off. And if only I could say the same thing about Julia Stiles who brings out little depth in her performance of an otherwise intriguing character. So, maybe it would have been better if she had switched roles with Caroline Dhavernas. Admittedly, that still would not have made up for the story's flaws or the failure to adequately recreate small town atmosphere.
    Walter M Super Reviewer
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